We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Online Therapy Can't Commit to Therapy? These Affordable Apps Provide DIY Therapy-Based Tools From CBT to group support, these apps help YOU take charge of your mental health By Hannah Owens, LMSW Hannah Owens, LMSW Hannah Owens is the Mental Health/General Health Editor for Dotdash Meredith. She is a licensed social worker with clinical experience in community mental health. Learn about our editorial process Updated on May 10, 2024 Print Verywell Mind / Jhett Thompson We know that starting therapy can be quite the commitment—it takes time and money, two things most of us don’t always have to spare. This is where mental health apps, like the ones we tested out for the 2023 Online Therapy + Wellness Awards, can bridge a gap by providing resources and exercises based on tried-and-true therapeutic practices. We wanted to know who these mental health apps helped, how they worked, and whether these apps should be more like supplements to therapy (think: homework to help reinforce the work you do in session) or just tools to help you deal with everyday stressors. So we tested 9 different therapy tools apps for one month each, and these were our favorites. These therapy-based apps are part of our 2023 Online Therapy + Wellness Awards, celebrating the best tried and tested mental health apps and services on the market. See Full List of Winners Our Top Picks Best for Mood Tracking: MoodKit Verywell Mind / Michela Buttignol / Moodkit We think MoodKit offers some really fantastic activities and challenges that helped push us out of our comfort zone into healthier thoughts and behaviors—our favorite aspect of the app was the mood tracker because having a collection of data points really helped ground us on bad days. Price: One-time download fee of $4.99 Sign Up Now Best for Anxiety: Worry Watch Verywell Mind / Michela Buttignol / Worry Watch We found that Worry Watch delivered on its promise to offer guided journaling and mindfulness-based coping skills for anxiety—we thought that its CBT-based approach to addressing our anxiety was especially helpful. Price: Free version available, $11.99 for a yearly subscription I’m a Therapist Who Journaled With the Worry Watch App to Conquer My Anxiety Sign Up Now Best Free App: MindShift CBT Verywell Mind / Michela Buttignol / Mindshift We think that this app is great for people who are seeking a way to manage their day-to-day symptoms of stress or worry by practicing CBT techniques that help identify negative thoughts, with the added bonus that it’s completely free to use. Price: Free I'm a Big Worrywart, So I Tried MindShift CBT to See If it Could Ease Some of My Anxiety—Here’s What Happened Sign Up Now Best for Group Support: Circles Verywell Mind / Michela Buttignol / Circles We were impressed with the number of support groups available through Circles for a wide variety of topics, and were pleasantly surprised that groups of this value are offered for such a low monthly fee compared to other group support services. Price: $29 per month with a monthly subscription, $20 per month with a 6-month subscription, $15 per month with a yearly subscription. Verywell Mind readers get a discount of 22% off a monthly or yearly subscription with the code VERYWELL22, applied at checkout. I'm a Therapist Who Tried Circles’ App-Based Support Groups. This Was My Experience. Sign Up Now Best for Self-Help: Sesh Verywell Mind / Michela Buttignol / Caraway With so many different topics to choose from, we were able to find the specific kind of support we were looking for instead of feeling overwhelmed by our options—this made our self-help search easy and convenient. Price: $60 per month Sign Up Now By Hannah Owens, LMSW Hannah Owens is the Mental Health/General Health Editor for Dotdash Meredith. She is a licensed social worker with clinical experience in community mental health. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Helpful Report an Error Other Submit